What is Love?

Elizabeth Tenety

What is love? This Valentine's Day, On Faith asked some of its most prolific panelists and bloggers to answer that question from their religious tradition.

Fr. Frank Pavone: St. John tells us, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us" (1Jn.3:16). To find the meaning of love, we look to God. What Christ did for us teaches us that love means self-giving. He gave Himself away on the cross, that we might live. Every Mass reminds us of this, as He again says, "This is My Body given up for you; this is My Blood, shed for you." These are the words of self-giving; these are the words of love.